S. Senate after it rejected an amendment introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would have allowed states to require labels on foods made with modified ingredients.

Sanders' amendment failed on Thursday in a 71-27 vote, three days after one of his colleagues, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), released a statement promising to repeal the so-called "Monsanto Protection Act," which allows farmers to buy and plant genetically-altered seeds while its regulatory approval is being challenged in court.

Dorothy Muehlmann, who organized the march in Los Angeles, California, told the Los Angeles Times that the protests were also designed to heighten consumer awareness about Monsanto's business dealings.

"This is not just a 'boo Monsanto' protest," Muehlmann said to the Times. "We want more people to know so they can make their own decisions."

The Chicago Tribune reported that Monsanto released a statement Saturday defending its practices.

"Among the challenges facing agriculture are producing food for our growing population and reducing agriculture's footprint on the environment," the company's director of company affairs, Tom Helscher, said in the statement. "While we respect each individualís right to express their point of view on these topics, we believe we are making a contribution to improving agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving natural resources such as water and energy."

Watch RT's report from the protest in New York City, aired Saturday, below.